Training Days

Very busy the last couple of days - sorry for the lack of updates! Yesterday was a 0500 wakeup with a 0630 pull-out for IED lanes (react to contact and react to IED - Improvised Explosive Device training). Great stuff, but we got just about all the weather we could, except for tropical. It rained, shined, snowed, hailed and shined, then rained again. Temps ranged from 35 to about 45, then back down to 32 or so. It sucked pretty good. The live fire on convoy made it all worthwhile, even if I can't touch a gun as a chaplain. I felt for our gunner, freezing and wet up in the turret. He's a young kid, in his early 20's, and a legal clerk, of all things. However, he got the great compliment from a full-on infantry combat vet: He was the best gunner they've had in almost a year. Hit all of his targets like a pro. (Still doesn't want to switch to infantry, though!) 12 hours later we had meetings and lights out around 2200. I slept HARD.

Today was a different kind of busy. Still doing ILE classes (a class for Majors). 6 hours of study and completing an exam, followed by a four hour class. Forgot lunch. **ugh** Good learning, but very tough to try to fit in during this mobilization cycle.

We have less than a month to go, but I can't give out specifics on our departure time. Supposedly lots of pass time coming up, but our mobilization trainers seem to want to add unnecessary training to fill our time just to keep us busy. Is it out of line for a chaplain to tell a colonel that their way of doing business is both incompetent and completely counter to morale? I will do my best to bite my lip. These guys have been working their butts off and deserve a break - not to be screwed with by the Army. I remember now why I didn't go full time! I continue to pray for my own composure, as I get easily offended on their behalf. Many of these guys haven't been home for more than a few days for about two months already - and won't get much time to sew up their affairs before deploying.

I'm not a fan of ridiculousness, but there seem to be some real issues with the mobilization folks at Lewis. I was just about pulled out of my MANDATORY class for a MANDATORY equipment issue today because the civilian contractors (who complain that we soldiers are inconvenient for their schedules!) were leaving in the morning and would not be available until after we deploy for further issue. When I explained that I would lose 10 months of extensive study and class credits if I left this class, somehow they came up with a 1400 opening tomorrow! Did I mention that liars go to Hell?

Okay, so I've vented a bit. Hope you understand, but I think the plan is to make us so frustrated and miserable here that we'll welcome the austere and dangerous environs of the combat zone. Mission accomplished!